subject: Plastic Surgery: Giving Your Surgeon Information [print this page] In the quest to learn as much about the plastic surgery they are considering, many potential patients forget that it is just as important to give their surgeon information about themselves. Don't fall into the trap of lying about prior or current medical problems because you think it may make you ineligible for the procedure. If it does, it does for a reason. The truth is that every procedure comes with a set of risks. You can reduce these risks by choosing a good doctor and following instructions. But if you don't give your doctor all of the pertinent information, you're introducing risk where none need be.
Smoking
You'll find it hard to run into a doctor who won't advise you to quit smoking, but the information regarding how cigarettes affect a person's health is widely available and, indeed, difficult to escape. If you smoke, you already know it's bad for you. Because of this, you may not want to share this little fact with your plastic surgery doctor. Don't make this mistake, as smoking can introduce serious risks to both the procedure and the recovery. Some doctors simply won't perform certain procedures on a smoker. This is not a reason to hide your habit, though, as you could be endangering your life by doing so.
Medications
Your doctor needs to know about every medication you currently take and any that you have taken in the past. Too many patients take this to mean: tell me about all of the prescription medication you have taken. That's not what it means. It means everything from Percocet to Tylenol. It includes protein powder, vitamins, diet pills, and any herbal pills you got from the nature store on the corner. It also, of course, includes illicit drugs of any type. If you're worried about the doctor reporting you to your insurance company for illegal drug use, you might simply want to cancel the plastic surgery altogether. Because, frankly, that is a real possibility and you can't afford to hide something that could have serious effects on your procedure.
Your Medical History
If you have to think for more than five seconds about whether or not you should mention something in your medical history, the answer is yes. Let your doctor decide if the information is pertinent or not. Issues that are definitely on the table include any history of blood clots, anemia, hemophilia, or allergic reactions. If you have a lot of background on your parents' medical history, provide as much of that as possible also.
